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Meandering through life at the convenience store

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  • #1

    Meandering through life at the convenience store

    Early last year I got a job at the local cigarette, lotto and gas dispensary. Pay was abysmal, but it was close to my home and when you have no job and your money is running out.... well you get the idea.
    As time goes by I get bumped up to assistant manager. My pay got bumped from a regular funny joke level up to a Howie Mandel joke.
    I'm settling in to the job. Dealing with extra crap of course but all in all there are worse jobs to have.
    A while back my manager dangles the notion of me becoming a store manager. Apparently he and his boss are in the like me and my work camp.
    Nice to know. Even so, my initial response was no because of all the crap I have seen my boss deal with.

    Boss didn't let it go though. Which is a good thing I guess.

    Either way it isn't anything I have to think about in the short term.

    The extra money would mean I wouldn't have to share a house.
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  • #2
    Upside to something like that - Significantly more money (If it's like 2 bucks more then I imagine they go through managers quickly...) from salary and from bonuses if they do that. Benefits, too, as they have no choice in the matter; guaranteed minimum 40 hours a week. And, of course, POWER. Depending on how they let you act and if Corporate cares, you may have a fair bit of leeway when it comes to dealing with bad customers.

    Downside - ...because you'll likely be on salary. Expect to work 50-60 hours/week and get paid for 40. The buck will stop with you, ultimately. Stressful, and the place may very well BE your social life.

    Worth considering. The good often outweighs the bad on this sort of thing if you can handle the extra load and attendant stress.
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    • #3
      I have been a C-store manager for 10 years---I took a two year break because of a family situation.

      There are LOTS of ups and downs about being a manager. When things go right--they go very right...and I give my employees lots of credit for things going right. When things go wrong...they go massively epically heart stoppingly wrong....and I take responsibility for the state of my store.

      Pay, yes you do become salary. For me that meant going from about $12 to $15 an hour...now I make a little over $22 an hour. My BASE bonus level annually is $2500...my max bonus is $10,000 annually.

      The work is hard, stressful, never done, millimeters away from a crisis, always on the go, and we haven't even added the customers, vendors, or equipment problems into the equation. I would LOVE to leave the industry but I would miss the money and the adrenaline rush---and when I did leave the industry I missed the autonomy and responsibility....yes, and the customers.

      GOOD managers don't have "power" we have a team that we empower to effectively do their job. Effective managers are highly organized, time focused, goal oriented, driven, flexible, and have a sense of humor....among other traits.

      Honestly, think about the opportunity.....there is a ton of money to be made running C-stores. It is essentially a recession proof industry....people will always need fuel and their vices (smokes, lottery, candy and caffeine) BUT as soon as I find a job where I can use my business and marketing degrees (that pays me over $60k) I am SO done with retail.

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      • #4
        Quoth carryonnow View Post
        GOOD managers don't have "power" we have a team that we empower to effectively do their job. Effective managers are highly organized, time focused, goal oriented, driven, flexible, and have a sense of humor....among other traits.
        Ahh yes. I have to face palm sometimes. There are people who are leaders and can manage, and those who are just paid more. I saw it in the service and it's the same thing now that I'm out.
        I live dealing with the ones who want the authority but don't realize that you then have the responsibility to go with. If those are not balanced you invite disaster.
        AkaiKitsune
        Sarcasm dear, sarcasm. I’m well aware that dealing with civilians in any capacity will skin your faith in humanity alive, then pickle anything that remains so as to watch it shrivel up into an immortal husk thus reminding you of how dead inside you now are.

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        • #5
          People always need gas, and the demand for cigarettes and lottery isn't going anywhere. So you're right about that.
          Decision time is down the road. I'd have to do manager training and a store in my area would have to be available.

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